RICHARD FRISBIE :: Who Is Vera Bradley?

The reason for my absence from gather the last few days will become readily apparent:
During a recent tour of the beaches of South Walton, Florida, I discovered the ignorance that comes from not having enough "X" chromosomes. Obviously I’m not a woman, I’m not married, and I have no sense of fashion. My world is totally ruled by chromosomes of X and Y - one each.

How else can I explain that I didn’t know who Vera Bradley was? I first heard her name when I asked a female friend why the huge building in Seaside, Florida, was purple. She said “Vera Bradley asked us to OK it.” With that, I knew she had power, but I still didn’t know who she was.

When I checked into my room at Inn By The Sea, in Seaside, I saw the name Vera Bradley on the sign. My second floor suite, called “Sunset”, was one of the “unique” rooms, with peaked ceilings where the wallpaper went from the floor all the way to the peak. It was a charming look, and the rooms were spacious, but I’d never seen anything like it before.

An employee explained that Vera Bradley’s first job was as a paperhanger for a design firm. Her love of wall coverings can be traced back to those early years.

Vera Bradley went on to design wallpaper patterns of her own. Today, fabrics in her designs are used for women's and men's clothes, accessories, luggage, upholstery, and table dressings. Whole rooms with the Vera Bradley “look” are featured in home, garden and architectural magazines.The Inn itself features a different Vera Bradley design in each of the guest quarters.

Needless to say, Vera Bradley is a big deal. She’s a woman, a designer, a chain of stores, a website and a look – verily an industry. According to the website www.verabradley.com, there are 28 Vera Bradley stores nationwide, 9 international locations, and over 3000 independent retail shops where her designs are sold. Vera Bradley is big business!

Now, not only do I know who Vera Bradley is, I own a Vera Bradley bag! Yes, a gift from the Inn during my stay was a beautiful blue patterned handbag. I’m a guy’s guy with a fru fru purse. I don’t know why I got it, perhaps I looked under-accessorized, but I have a $46 suggested retail designer bag that goes with nothing I own. Maybe it is working its magic. I keep thinking that I have to go shopping!

To find the Vera Bradley store nearest you, visit:  http://www.verabradley.com

For a look at the gorgeous architecture and beach-front beauty of Seaside and the other beaches of South Walton County, Florida, visit:
http://www.beachesofsouthwalton.com

Richard Frisbie, FOOD Correspondent:

RICHARD FRISBIE is published twice a month to Gather Essentials: Food. It is a food junkie's take on growing, raising, preparing and - above all else - eating food. Together we?ll explore the trends, addictions, equipment and regional specialties that make up the sometimes mundane and sometimes sublime cooking and dining experience. You can keep up with my other postings and Gather activity by joining my Gather network -- I look forward to hearing from you.

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BIO - Richard Frisbie writes culinary travel articles, is a columnist for his local newspapers, and is a regular contributor to the many Hudson Valley, Catskill Mountain and other regional New York publications. Online, he writes frequent articles for EDGE Publications, GoNomad and Travel Lady, as well as Gather.

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